Stroke services decision

Today (7 September) the Guildford and Waverly and N W surrey CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups) met to decide on Stroke Services following their consultation.  As proposed, the two HASUs (Hyper-Acute Stroke Units) in West Surrey will be at Frimley Park Hospital and St Peters Hospital in Chertsey. This is despite over 60% of respondents opposing the proposals essentially because those consulted wanted the two to be Frimley and the Royal Surrey.

However there was a very significant change re ASUs (Acute Stroke Units to which patients go once they are stabilised in a HASU). I and fellow Governors (see earlier blogs) pressed for the Royal Surrey to have an ASU and for involvement in rehabilitation rather than everything happening in St Peters and Frimley Park. This was clearly the wish at the meeting which the Royal Surrey organised for Trust members. The Royal Surrey after the members’ meeting submitted a proposal on those lines.

I am pleased to say that the CCGs have decided that there should be a “networked HASU and ASU” arrangement between Frimley and the Royal Surrey with the ASU being located in the Royal Surrey. They have also decided that there be bedded specialist rehabilitation in the Royal Surrey linked to the ASU and with access to non-specialist rehabilitation.

This good news BUT a similar arrangement with ST Peters has not been agreed. That is not good news for the people of Guildford the majority of whom will be taken to the St Peters’ HASU. I raised this at the joint meeting of the two CCGs and they agreed to look at this again, However such undertakings have a habit of dying and so I will be doing my best to ensure this does not happen.